Page 114 of Protect My Heart
‘I can’t believe I didn’t even consider it until a couple weeks ago.’
She stops and sets my suitcase down. ‘Seriously, Mia, what is in here? Did you pack bricks from their fireplace?’
‘Need some help?’ a guy says.
Nora turns to the guy. ‘Steve.’
It’s the guy from the sandwich shop. The professor Nora was hitting on the day we had lunch.
The guy smiles at her. ‘It’s been awhile.’
‘Yeah. What are you doing here?’
‘Just back from a conference in London.’
‘London. Great. Well, I need to get going.’
‘Can I help you with the bag?’
‘Sure!’ I say, knowing Nora won’t ask for help.
She glares at me. She says she doesn’t like the guy, but every time I talk to her, she brings him up. She never went on that coffee date with him. She couldn’t get over the tiny spoon thing on their yogurt date.
Steve picks up the suitcase and walks beside Nora as we head to the car. ‘Are you going to introduce me to your friend?’
‘Oh. Yeah. Steve meet Mia. Mia meet Steve.’
‘You teach at the college?’ he asks me.
‘No, but I’m working for a professor there, just compiling data. It’s not too exciting.’
‘She just finished grad school,’ Nora says. ‘She’s going to be a school counselor.’
Actually, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’ve decided to hold off on applying for jobs until after the baby arrives, but when I’m ready for a job, I don’t know if I’ll find one in Haydon Falls. The schools don’t have any openings. I don’t know where else I could work.
We get to Nora’s car and Steve puts my suitcase in the trunk.
‘You open to going for that coffee we never had?’ Steve asks Nora.
‘Oh, I don’t think so. I’m really busy.’
‘C’mon. Just one coffee?’
She gives him a slight smile. ‘Sure. Maybe tomorrow. I’ll send you a text.’
‘Sounds good.’ He waves at me. ‘Nice meeting you.’
‘You too.’
When we’re in the car, she takes off, going faster than she should. ‘Did you really have to do that?’
‘Let him take my suitcase? Yes. As slow as you were going, it would’ve taken an hour to get to the car.’
‘I told you I’m not going out with him again, and now I somehow got talked into having coffee with him.’
‘You need to let go of the tiny spoon thing. He’s smart. He seems nice. And he’s handsome.’
‘And weird. I want a normal guy. Is that too much to ask for?’
